Diaphragmatic breathing and three-part breathing not only reduces stress and anxiety but it also improves our physical health.
I'm Paula from Happy Yoga Wales and this is a mindful diaphragmatic and three-part breathing practice.
So let's make a start.
Reach tall through the crown of the head,
Stack the shoulders directly above the hips and allow the shoulders to soften away from the ears.
Gently close the eyes if that feels comfortable or just soften the gaze looking down past the tip of the nose.
And let's begin here by taking a moment to settle into our space.
Noticing any sounds around you,
Becoming aware of your body and your breath.
Start by bringing your attention to your body,
Noticing the points of contact where your body meets the chair or the floor.
Feel the weight of your body being supported by the ground beneath you.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and a little smile on the lips as you exhale out of the mouth.
Allow yourself to release any tension or stress.
Allow yourself to release any tension or stress that you might be holding on to.
Take a few moments to scan the body all the way from the head to the toes,
Gently noticing any areas of tightness or discomfort without judgment.
Simply acknowledge these sensations and allow them to be.
Now let's shift our focus to diaphragmatic breathing,
Also known as belly breathing.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
Take a deep breath in through the nose allowing your abdomen to expand.
As you fill your lungs with air,
Feel the hand on your abdomen rise while the hand on your chest remains relatively still.
Slowly exhale through your mouth,
Letting your abdomen fall as you release the breath.
Continue breathing in this way,
Focusing on the rise and fall of your abdomen.
Inhale deeply,
Feeling your belly expand and exhale completely,
Feeling your belly contract.
If your mind starts to wander,
Gently bring your attention back to the sensation of your breath.
Let each inhale bring in a sense of calm and each exhale release any tension.
Next we'll move into three-part breathing.
This involves breathing into three distinct parts of your torso,
The abdomen,
The ribcage and the upper chest.
Begin by inhaling deeply into your abdomen,
Feeling it expand.
Then continue inhaling into the ribcage,
Feeling it widen.
Finally,
Inhale into the upper chest,
Feeling it rise.
Imagine your breath filling your body from the bottom up like a glass of water.
Pause for a moment at the top of your inhale and then slowly exhale in reverse order.
First release the breath from the upper chest,
Then from the ribcage and finally from your abdomen.
Keep this pattern.
Inhaling into the abdomen,
Ribcage and upper chest and exhaling from the upper chest,
Ribcage and abdomen.
Take your time with each breath,
But don't force or try to control the pace of your breath.
Or try to control the pace too much.
Allow the process to be slow,
Steady and full of ease.
Notice how this breathing technique helps you connect more deeply with your breath and body.
Feel the wave-like motion of your breath flowing through you.
As we come to the end of our practice,
Return to your natural breathing pattern.
Take a moment to observe any changes in your body or mind.
Simply notice how you feel.
When you're ready,
Take a deep breath in,
Allow the belly to expand one last time and with a little smile on the lips,
Exhale through the mouth with a sigh.
Gently blinking the eyes open and bringing your awareness back to your center.
Gently blinking the eyes open and bringing your awareness back to your surroundings.
